Shadow Wind
by Alexis Diamond
Summary: When a Shadow mates with a Human, everything changes. Their daughter, Autumn, is exiled because of her half-heritage differences. Can she ever live with the Inks again? Or will she be forced to side with Humans? Read, review, and find out!
1. Gifts of death

Autumn Jade raced through the forest, aiming for the patch of moonlight just inches from her nose. The moon was always just in front of her, and no matter how fast she ran or in which direction, it never moved from its designated place before her eyes. So she continued to run, faster and faster until the trees beside her started to blur. Her heart quickened its pace to accompany her feet as she slipped around trees and under branches. The stars winked at her and Autumn laughed. Her voice rang out, chiming amid the forest.

Her breathing was barely strained. This was what she lived for, this chance to be alone. Just her, the moonlight and the wind that whispered secrets into her long black hair. Her eyes, a deep jade, sparkled with the intensity of the night, and for a quick moment, she slowed her feet in order to breathe deeply the heavy scent of pine. Her legs quickened once more.

Autumn didn't know where she was going, just that she was. As long as she knew that she was going, she could go anywhere. Leaning her head back, she stopped abruptly. Her heart slowed as she gazed up at the night sky blinking in and out of the branches above her. Autumn`s legs suddenly became extremely weak. She folded them over each other as she sat onto the wet moss. She leaned her head back against a tree trunk and allowed her mind the freedom to roam among the forest.

Her eyes involuntarily closed as she sent the fingers of her consciousness out into the trees. A bird cawed. A scuttle in the bush beside her sent her senses to the left. She let her mind flow over the branches of the bush until she found the source of the scuttling noise. A high-pitched squeal left her throat, and bounced back after hitting each protruding stick in the path of the noise.

An image filled her head. A mouse sat on a nest of leaves, ears perked up and nose wiggling as it cautiously leaned forward in her direction. Autumn opened her eyes and gently, slowly reached her hand into the bush. She sensed the mouse flinch, then felt a small furry paw and then another as it climbed onto her palm. Taking her hand back, Autumn smiled at the tiny creature in her hand. Such delicate little paws and precious ears. The mouse began sniffing her fingers and the tickling of its whiskers made her heart jump.

Autumn closed her eyes again and felt her mind widen. She squealed and saw a picture fill her mind of exactly where the mouse was on her palm. Blowing onto the mouse gently, it neither flinched nor fled. Instead, the rodent squatted onto its hind legs and looked straight at her. Her hand trembled, and she felt despair attack her.

Autumn let the mouse down onto the ground. She could feel her strength leaving her fast and knew that she had to go. Sadness filled her as she opened her eyes and stood up. She hated to leave so soon, but knew that if she wanted to stay strong enough to defend herself, she needed to leave now.

She began to run again, dodging the things in her path. She decided on a destination and, after a quick look to the stars, headed east. Her pace hardly faltered as she attacked the ground, peeling away the miles until she had reached the eastern slope. Slowing, she stepped onto the top of the slope and peered down.

A silver lake glistened beneath her, its shiny surface reflecting the stars and trees around. Shifting shadows meandered in the shallow waters beside the shores, and for a moment, Autumn faltered. Would they guess where she'd been? Could they sense her weakening strength? She shook her doubts away, and lifted her chin, striding proudly down the bank to the water's edge. The water was cool to the touch as Autumn stepped into the sliver waves.

A figure burst out of the water, attacking Autumn. Thick claws sank into her shoulders, and she bit her tongue to keep from howling. Autumn took a deep breath and threw herself to the left, then the right, hoping to throw her attacker off. The figure only dug its claws deeper, and pressed its weight into her shoulders. Feeling even weaker, Autumn fell to the ground. She pushed her hands up against scaly skin, resisting its weight, and clawed its stomach. The thing yowled.

Incisors glinted in the moonlight as its head reared back and thrust forward, biting Autumn hard on the shoulder. This time Autumn screamed, and wriggled, frantically trying to get free. The scaled being took her mouth out of Autumn's shoulder and leaned up against her ear.

A hiss escaped its mouth. "We've been waiting for you..."

Instantly, Autumn recognized the voice and shrank back. "Get off me." She hissed back and bit Xena's ear. She threw her body over, and they rolled into the water.

Autumn opened her eyes. Xena was gone, out of sight. A stinging erupted in her shoulders and torso and the fresh wounds opened. She pushed her feet into the sand and bounced up. Head breaking into clean air, water rolled off Autumns head. She swam to the edge of the water, and climbed out. Eyes darting furtively, Autumn nimbly ran into the forest. She ignored the pain searing her limbs, and focused on reaching the Cave. Eyes peered down at her from the tree tops, and instantly, she knew that her behaviour wouldn't be tolerated any longer. Xena knew, and so Valc must know too. And if Valc knew... She shuddered, imagining his bristling face.

A splash to her right sent her cowering into the trees. She quickened her pace, hoping to arrive before Xena. Maybe then she could explain herself to Valc, and she wouldn't be exiled...

A large overhanging rock appeared through the trees before her. Water flowed over its protruding form, splashing into the lake. She slowed as the entire rock face dug into her sight. Erosion had driven a tree sideways, its branches curtaining over the rushing water. She ducked under a branch and walked towards the rock. From afar, it looked like a normal waterfall. Up close, and at the right angle, you could see a slight opening in the side of the rock, and that the land continued under the falling water.

Autumn kept walking, right into the water. She came out the other side, hardly dripping, and stopped dead. A bright flash of white and a blink of silver rushed in front of her, and Autumn started. Valc, red eyes glaring, stood beside Xena. Her long white hair and silver eyes contrasted scaly, black skin and, if it weren't for her hair and eyes, she would've blended into the cave walls. Autumn's heart crashed and burned as it fell to her feet. She could almost see its flaming figure as it bounded down the hallway of her soul.

A flash of black strung out in front of her. Valc's scaled tail reached out and slapped her cheek. Pain seared her, and she bit her tongue, trying hard to stop being so Human. Valc's hand grabbed her neck, and Autumn blinked hard. It was her fault.

"Where have you been?" He hissed in a low raspy growl.

"I went f-for a walk." She managed to stare into his blood-red eyes.

"Dare you defile me?" He threw Autumn back against the cave wall. "I've told you time and time again not to leave the Inks boundaries. There are Humans out there."

"I don't care. They haven't seen me, they never will." His loud voice caused her chin to rise as she picked herself up off the floor. She gave them a wide berth and stood tall. Xena laughed coldly.

"Of course she would defend the Humans, she is one." Xena snarled. Her forked tongue snaked out of her thin lips, tasting the air.

"I am a half-breed only by birth. My heart lies with the Inks. I think like a Shadow, am faster than a shadow. Even if a Human does see me, it won't be able to follow me, nor recognize me. Besides, I only travel at night. What half-wit Human would go into the forest at night?"

Valc growled at Autumn and she flinched. " You are not allowed to leave Ink boundaries, and you have. Repeatedly. I have no choice but to exile you. If you cannot respect our laws, you cannot live in our community."

Autumn's heart burned out. The ashes blew away in the wind. She dropped her head in defeat. She'd known that it would always come down to this. Her heart verses the tribes head. Suddenly, anger flamed, causing her heart to spark with life. Who was he to boss her around? He had killed her mother, his wife. So what if she was half Human? She was also half Shadow! A hand on her shoulder caused her to raise her head.

Valc stood, his dreadlocks swinging slightly, with his clawed hand on her shoulder. "I'm sorry. I know that after your mother died..."

"You killed her!"

He bristled. "I put her out of her misery. You should be happy that I saved her from the chains that bound her. Anyone would want to die if they'd mated with a Human."

"They were in love! Can't you respect that? I didn't choose this fate for myself. It isn't my fault that she made that mistake." Autumn could feel the fight leaving her.

"No one asks to be made the way that they are. You should have embraced the Shadow in you, instead of running off and playing with your Human wizardry." He barred his teeth.

"It isn't wizardry! It is a gift, a talent. If I was leader, I would use any special talents in the tribe to benefit the Inks, rather than destroy anything different." Why couldn't he see things from her point of view? She was special too.

"I have made my decision. Our talk is over."

"Valc! Please, just give me another chance, anything, I can show you-"

"I said it's over! Leave me." He shouted, eyes blazing. Xena stepped forward.

Tears blurred Autumns vision as she stumbled forward. She fell to Valc's feet and bent her head. " Please! Don't exile me. I'll never survive out there, in the wild." She felt claws dig into her shoulder, but stayed on the ground.

"How dare you approach the King? Have you no soul?" Autumn was thrown backwards at Xena's shout. She stood up and faced Xena. Her white hair swung as she knelt, preparing to fight. Her silver eyes blazed intensely, eagerly.

Autumn growled, Xena hissed. They started circling each other.

"Xena, this is foolishness. Stop right now." Valc stepped between the girls.

"Fine." Xena straightened and shot a pitiful glance at Autumn. "It would be unfair to fight such weak, Human trash." She turned away.

Autumn's anger burst through the barriers she'd tried so hard to hold. She flung herself at Xena's turned back, digging her fingernails into the black scales. Xena threw her head back and screamed. Autumn bit Xena's ear, and tore a peice of flesh out of her shoulder.

Xena's hands came back and clawed Autumns back. Autumn threw all of her weight against Xena and they went crashing down. "Human trash, am I?" She screamed and jumped off Xena's back. She kicked her stomach and Xena growled and jumped up. Autumn threw her fists wildly, hitting flesh. She heard bones breaking and screams, but all she could see was a blur of black with red and white streaks.

Xena fell to the floor, and Autumn kicked her.

Suddenly, claws dug into Autumns back, and she stopped, mid-kick. The floor was suddenly far away, and then so close as she was thrown to the floor. "Stop this madness, you idiotic child!" Valcs deep throaty roar made Xena's whimpering seem so much more real. What had she done? Autumn tried to pull herself up, but her legs were unbelievabley weak...

She felt warm liquid running down the side of her face. She looked around, taking in her surroundings. Xena, bloody and broken, lay beside her. Vlac knelt down beside Xena and roared with anger. He turned his blazing eyes to Autumn, and she shrank back and started to shake. What had she done?

With a bloodcurdling roar, he grabbed her by the legs, swung her up and out and into the waterfall. Time slowed. She saw the water beneath her, felt the water pound into her body as she sailed through the falls. Air screamed in her ears, and then suddenly she was under, immersed in water. She couldn't tell which way was up, which way was down. She spread her hands out, and flinched as her wounds drowned in water.

Water, everywhere. She could survive only a short time under water because of her Human origin. Already her lungs screamed for air, body begging for relief. The waterfalls crashed above her, and the falling water pushed her farther under. A blobby shape appeared beneath her, and she felt pain rip through her as the rock scraped her entire backside. Panic flew alongside the pain. Where was she?

A black blob flashed in her head. Why couldn't she breathe? Her lungs pushed up and up until she blew out her remaining air. She opened her mouth, and sucked in water. She coughed and doubled over. Her vision blurred, straightened, blurred. Black blinked in front of her. All she wanted was to sleep. To close her eyes, and be forever tangled with peace. But she couldn't sleep. Sleep meant death.

She couldn't breathe, couldn't think.

Autumn Jade sank to the bottom of the lake, and closed her eyes.


	2. Beautiful Saviour

Talyn paced the floor, staring at the ground and grinding his teeth. "You mean that the Shadow I just saw flying into the lake was Valc's daughter? A princess? Royalty?"

Raspek nodded and starred at Talyn. He swallowed a growl as he looked at the animal. A long, black tail snaked out of Raspek and his nose was twitching, the way it always was. Right now, Talyn wanted to rip that nose out of his face and watch him scream in pain, wriggling on the floor, a bloody mess with his eyes laden in pain and despair-

"Why does this interest you, Talyn?" Raspek interrupted his thoughts. Talyn narrowed his eyes, trying to get the mangy creature out of his sight. Why in the world had Father wanted to keep him? He belonged with the Inks, same as every other land-crawling Shadow. Except the one he had just seen, plummeting to her death.

"I was flying overhead, heard screams and roars in the Cave. Suddenly, a bloody mess of a Shadow is flung into the waterfall, and you have to nerve to ask what my interest is? If she is Valc's daughter, that means that she is valuble to Vivae as an informant." He growled. What he didn't say was that she didn't look anything like an Ink, more like a Vivae than anything. She had no tail, no ears, and no stripes or patches of fur. She almost looked- dare he say it?- human, with the exception of perfect skin, flawless features and brilliant green eyes. Of course, this was from quite a ways above, and he could've missed something, or glimpsed a flaw.

Raspek gazed at him, curiosity drowning his crude, yellow eyes. "If you are thinking about saving her, I would advise the opposite sir. She is an Ink for goodness sake! A filthy, ground creature who-"

"Who is exactly like you? You should've been an Ink. You would've been killed if not for my Fathers stupidity and weak grace! How dare you say that? She is a Shadow, as am I. I don't see the difference, except for our tribe's. You better watch your tongue, Raspek, before it comes back and bites you." The nerve! Raspek was merely a speck of dirt in the grand scheme of things. He was the same as any other prisoner that Vivae had captured from the Inks, except he was born in Vivae, and was accepted by Father as a 'prize' and a 'weapon they'll never expect'.

Talyn winced. Father was nothing but a weak spine and a bunch of feathers. For all his talk, he had never really helped the tribe. Vivae could do better without his constant yammering and witless talk. He thought that he was benefiting Vivae with his new war tactic's and special training for the Army. The only beneficial thing he'd ever done was invent the idea for the tunnels. Tunnels like the one he was standing in right now, beside Raspek.

Raspek was born into Vivae, the Inks sworn enemy, and 'exiled' because of his Ink-like characteristics. Talyn's father had actually taken Raspek underground where he dug the tunnels: underground walkway's that were strategically placed beneath the Ink's camp. They could spy on them better, and listen in on their meetings from beneath the Cave. Nearly all of Vivae knew of the tunnels, but only a special selected could actually access them and knew the entrances whereabouts.

Talyn started pacing. What would Father say? Mother? Jazry? Father and Mother would be very disappointed in him, but he could care less. It was Jazry he was really worried about. She was his twin sister, and when she got upset, she lost control. Having squid characteristic's, she lived in the Salty Pool that surrounded the Vivae camp. She had a large, rubbery forehead and fiery red hair that stuck straight up. She would start swimming, incredibly fast, around the island and sometimes stir up whirlpools and large waves. If he upset her, especially with something this big, she might never trust him again. Jazry was the only family he trusted and actually liked.

And then there was Mother. Vivian was the leader of Vivae. She was given the crown after her father was killed by Valc, the Inks leader. She was his only child, and soon after gaining the crown, she married Quae, his Father. She ruled hard, and could exile him if he followed through with what his heart was screaming at him to do. Rescue the Ink that was drowning beneath the waterfalls crashing waves.

She was an Ink, and he didn't even know her. His white wings started to shake with anxiety. What could he do? Ink's were his sworn enemy, and quite disgusting. They resembled ground creatures, with furry ears and long tails, sometimes even having crooked legs and sticky tongues. Vivae, on the other hand, resembled air and water creatures. But only salt water, since that was all they had in Vivae boundaries. Talyn himself resembled a dove. He had beautiful, white wings and reddish-brown skin that shone in the sun. So why was he so attracted to this bloody mess he had only glimpsed when flying over the falls?

She was a Shadow. _She is also an Ink, _He reminded himself.

She is a child of the Spirit.

_She looks part Human. _

She is Valc's daughter. The tribe will be ecstatic.

_They could exile you. _

He drowned out his doubts. The Spirit taught them to love all. Whoever she was, she was certainly a child of the Spirit and deserved to live as much as he did. If things didn't work out, he could hide her. Maybe she'd be willing to give up the secrets of Inks.

His mind was made up. Ignoring Raspek, Talyn raced through the tunnel. Hopefully he wasn't too late. She was a Shadow, he assured himself, she can hold her breathe. He burst from the ground into the bright light. His wings flapped a few strong, sure flaps before he bent down and jumped into the air. He soared over the trees of Vivae, each wing stroke an extra beat to his heart. He couldn't afford to think of Father, or Jazry, or what will happen to him. He was too busy scanning the trees, counting the seconds before the trees thinned out and he saw the pounding waterfall, heard the splashing water, and began to quickly descend. He had just one thought before he tucked in his wings and hit the water.

He was saving an Ink.


	3. Comfort in a Stranger

Autumn opened her eyes. Her clothes stuck to her, embracing her form. Her chest burned and she opened her mouth, letting loose a scream. She couldn't breathe, couldn't think. Where was up? Where was she? An image flashed in her head. Her mother, green eyes sparkling, walking beside her three years ago. "In this world," she had said, "you will be pushed around, and many troubles will fall at you. But stay strong, baby. Use your gifts to help others and push the trouble away." An idea jumped at her. Her gift!

Blackness surrounded her, smothered her. She waved her arms, trying to get somewhere, anywhere. A splash sounded above her, and she looked up. Still black, still inky and dark. She closed her eyes and squealed. An image bounced into her head, a form diving towards her. She squealed again and again, trying to get a clearer picture. Something was diving towards her, and as it approached she realized it was a Shadow. His face was pinched with determination and his dark eyes blazed. He got closer and closer until Autumn couldn't take it and opened her eyes.

Suddenly he was there, up close. She glimpsed a flash of white on his back before he grabbed her legs and shoulder and scooped her up. Autumn opened her mouth and took a breath in, hoping to find air. Water threw itself into her mouth. Black blinked before her eyes. _Don't pass out baby, not now. _The water raced past her, and she sensed it's density thinning as they approached the surface. Blood pounded in her ears, and the heaviness in her lungs spiralled through her in a dizzy beating.

Finally they burst the surface and Autumn spit out water. She started to cough loud, hard coughs, wishing that whoever he was would put her down and let her breathe. His chest was hard and muscled on her side, and he held her in a strong grip. She took a deep breath. A flapping overpowered the pounding in her ears and she realized that her saviour hadn't put her down yet. She looked down and realized that the water was very far away. Air hit her wounds hard, and she stiffened. She looked around, and realized they were flying. Flying! But that meant that a Vivae had saved her.

She gazed up at her saviour. His skin was a reddish-brown and his light purple eyes blazed with determination. Shiny, white feathers flapped on his back. _How beautiful..._Autumn suddenly felt terror grip her. She was Valc`s daughter. And she`d just been taken by a Vivae, sworn enemy of the Inks. They would want information from her, information she was unwilling to give. Valc had never taught her anything, never told her any army secrets or special tips. Autumn started to shake. What would they think of her Humane features? Would they exile her like Valc had? Where would she go then?

"Are you alright?" He spoke without warning. His voice held a strange accent, and was instantly comforting.

"Y-yes, I think so." Autumn looked up at him, at his strong jaw and stopped shaking.

"You were shaking." He glanced down at her. Autumn blushed, but continued to stare, fascinated. He had such beautiful eyes.

"Why are you saving me?"

"You are a Shadow, I am a Shadow. Anyone would do the same." He looked away.

"I am also an Ink. You are Vivae." She took her eyes off him and glanced down. Trees flew by far below, giving way to a vast prairie land. She realized that they were in Vivae boundaries. "What do you want from me?"

"You are Valc's daughter." He said matter-of-factly.

So her suspicions were right. "I am useless to you." Autumn looked back at him, eyes hard, and willed him to look back. "Valc exiled me. He is the one who threw me into the fall. I hold no value to him or you."

She felt him stiffen as his grip tightened. She looked down and realized that they were closer to ground now. They were approaching a large lake. A canopy was just below them, and as he dove through the surface, she flinched and looked away. He descended quickly into a few trees, barely touching the ground as he let her down. Her side felt cold without the warmth of his torso, and she suddenly felt embarrassed and vulnerable at her small frame. She stumbled as she stood and he reached a hand to help her. They were in a clearing protected by trees, nearly at the water's edge. His wings folded onto his back as he looked at her. She let her gaze travel the length of him.

He had short, silver hair that graced his chiselled face. His light purple eyes stared at her as she admired his tanned skin. He wore a tunic weaved of leaves and grass, tight against his muscled chest. He was at least a foot taller than her and had talons rather than feet or claws. Autumn looked up at him, fascination painting her face. "What is your name?"

"Talyn." He pronounced it tay-lin. A familiar tug grabbed her. Hadn't she heard of him before? "What is yours?"

"Autumn Jade, but most call me Autumn." _Don't ask, please don't ask. _

"Why do you have two names?" He asked.

_Great._ She groaned inwardly"My mother's name was Jade. She wanted to make sure I didn't forget her."

He nodded and looked away, at the trees and whatever lay beyond. "I rescued you on my own decision. No one knows that I've saved an Ink. Follow me and stay quiet." He looked back to catch her nod, and stepped into the trees. He was quite slower than Autumn and she kept up with him easily. They ducked under branches, making their way east along the shore of the lake. A salty wind blew from the lake and Autumn remembered her Mother's words. _"Vivae resemble creatures of the air and the ocean. They live on an island amid a salt-water lake in order to accompany all Vivae." _

Talyn stopped in front of her and she nearly ran into him. He gestured her to follow, and pushed a branch aside to reveal a stone wall. He looked at her and his face dropped as he assessed their situation. "I am going to have to carry you over this wall. Our destination is on the other side." He whispered loudly. His accent made her smile and she wondered if every Vivae spoke like that. She nodded and he reached for her.

Autumn put her hands around his neck and he scooped her up the way he had in the water; one hand supporting her in the crook of her knees, the other behind her shoulders. He flapped his wings silently as he bent his knees, jumping up into the air. Adrenaline grabbed her and shook her hard as his wings caught air and they ascended up through the trees sheltering canopy. The wall wasn't very tall and in a few seconds, he set her down on the plateau's top. They ran quickly across the barren top, stopping every few seconds to hide behind a rock or a shrub.

Talyn stopped in front of a hole in the ground. "We've arrived." He gestured towards the hole. Autumn peered down into the hole, seeing nothing but blackness.

"Here? This is our destination." Autumn felt despair suffocate her. She was being put into a hole, a grave. What kind of animals lived down there? "There is no way that I am getting in that hole."

He sighed and without warning grabbed her waist and pulled her close. His wings folded down as he stepped into the hole. They fell, quickly and horribly. Fear held her, refusing to let her breathe. Autumn shut her eyes, mouth opening in a silent scream. After a few seconds, they cleared the tight tube, and Talyn's wings shot out, stabling their fall. They hit the ground softly in a large, tall tunnel.

Autumn opened her eyes to see Talyn's chest. She realized that her hands were clenched into his tunic, and slowly undid her fists. A soft chuckle escaped Talyn's mouth and he released her waist from his iron grip. She stepped back and sighed in relief. Her eyes caught his and she smiled. Looking around, her eyes widened in amazement.

Tall, rocky walls surrounded her everywhere. They were in a tunnel far beneath the ground. Talyn took her hand and pulled her into a room to their left, shutting the door behind her. A bed was on the far wall, and a flaming torch stuck out of the wall. "This is where you'll stay for now, until I find some way to tell Father that I've saved an Ink." He shook his head.

"Here?" Autumn looked around at the bare, windowless walls. Claustrophobia swelled in her throat, nearly cutting off her air supply. She looked back at Talyn, pleading with him with her eyes. She saw his desperate, disappointing look of despair and concern welled up in her. She should be thankful that he saved her. She had to stay in a room under the ground, OK, she could deal with that. At least it was safe, and private.

"Who is your Father?" She asked, remembering his problem.

"Quae." He looked back at her. Panic attacked her.

"Y-you are son of Quae? You are royalty?" That meant that his mother was Vivian, leader of Vivae. They were sworn enemies. Her attraction for him faded.

"Yes." His jaw hardened.

"Y-you saved me, even though we are sworn enemies. You could be killed, exiled because of me! Why?" Autumn struggled to understand.

He looked away and his jaw shifted. "You were hurt and helpless. If it is true that your own father didn't this to you," he gestured to her cuts on her torso and face, "then you deserve to be helped." He paused and looked back at her. "You are Valc's daughter, therefore an informant, possibly able to help Vivae."

Autumn felt strung between two cliffs. Yes, he did save her, and she owed him her life. But her father would never trust her with delicate information, certainly not anything that could be used against the Inks. She shook her head and looked up at him. An idea sprang at her. "I'm sorry, but I couldn't possibly defy my own tribe, or my father. I am useless to you."

His shoulders slumped in defeat. "Your father tried to kill you, and you aren't willing to help get vengeance? Surely you have something helpful, something to use for revenge." His eyes looked hopeful. Autumn felt helpless and unsure, wondering what she could make up to use as a fake war tactic, or some tidbit of information to repay Talyn, and yet keep herself alive.

Talyn must've read her eyes wrong, because he crouched down to her height, pleading with her with his eyes. "You've got to understand my situation here. I just saved an Ink for no apparent reason. From my mother's point of view, you're just one less Ink, a useless Shadow. She would have to exile me for such defiant behaviour, even though I am family. My father leads the Vivae Army. If you can't tell me anything about the Inks plans, or war strategy, or even their natural routine, I am history. And so are you." His eyes seemed so beg her to reconsider.

Autumn's heart pounded. "I want to help you, I really do Talyn. I just can't." She wished that she could, wished that she wasn't half human and had her father's trust. She wished that he had told her Ink secrets, special war tactics and strategy, maybe even taught her the certain hunting paths that Ink warriors took when they went in search of food.

She racked her brain, scanning for any useful piece of evidence or information that could be used against her father and the Inks. No one had befriended her; everyone hated her humane characteristics and strange gift. She blinked.

Her gift!

She stepped away from Talyn, and started to pace, appearing to consider his plea. How could she word this. Talyn's eyes were once more hopeful as he straightened to his full length and looked her over. She looked down at her feet and closed her eyes. Took a deep breath. Sending out the fingers of her consciousness, she squealed and saw the images that bounced back in stunning clarity. Talyn, his wings almost glowing on his back, stepped toward her. The walls were dirt and packed in tight, reminding her of the Cave. She opened her eyes, and took in the sights, ideatical to the ones in her head. Her heart beat faster as she considered what she was about to do. She looked Talyn square in the eye and smilled.

"I know how I can help you."


	4. Defying the Queen

Autumn looked at Talyn and felt her heart jump into her throat. She was amazed at the perfectness of his features, and suddenly embarrassed. For the first time in a while, she hated how her human origin made her look so flawed. She focused on her idea and took a breath.

"As you may have noticed, I do not look like most Inks. I don't have a tail or fur. That is because I am special." Talyn raised his brows and eyed her suspiciously.

"You look Human." He accused.

She swallowed her disappointment and tried to make herself sound sure. "I am a half breed. Half Human, half Shadow." Talyn's eyes narrowed as he eyed her body length. Understanding dawned. She continued. "But I have a gift unknown to the Inks before I was born. It's called sound seeing." She hoped she sounded hopeful.

No one really knew what her gift was. Her father called it 'Human wizardry' even though it wasn't magic, and definitely not Human. Autumn had heard of the Humans and their pathetic strength. They were weak and slow, with mere fingernails rather than claws and had no tails or wings. Surely they couldn't see with sound, not the way Autumn could.

Talyn stepped towards her. "You can see with sound? How so?" he sounded doubtful.

"I send a wave of sound out, and it bounces back to me, so I can see with my eyes closed." She failed to mention how weak it made her, and how she hated using it because of the reaction it had given her over the years. Thus, she'd had barely any practice, and probably was the reason why she got so weak.

"Sound echoes back to you so you can see in the dark? Where we come from, that's called echolocation. Bat's and whales have it, creatures of the air and ocean." He stepped closer, eyes suspicious. "That is a Vivae talent."

Autumn looked down, shamed. "I guess the Spirit brought us together for a reason then."

Talyn snorted, and looked away. "So this is it then? I saved an Ink that has Vivae talents for naught? Is that the only information that you can give me?"

Autumn shook her head, and tried to think hard. She concentrated on everything that Valc had told her over the years, and searched with no avail for a secret, a weapon to be used against him. She couldn't find anything. Suddenly, she remembered something her mother had told her. _"If you are ever in trouble, use your gifts. Use them to help save yourself and to honour the Spirit." _

_I have used my gifts! They call it echolocation here, and it won't save me. _She thought and thought.

"Brilliant! I just saved a blasted Ink without a clue as to save herself." Talyn shook his head in frustration and kicked the wall.

Autumn started to pace, quickly tracing the length of the wall, back and forth. Did she have any other hidden talents? She didn't think so. She was only half Shadow, and wasn't as strong or graceful as the Inks, certainly not as perfect as Vivae. She had petty fingernails and ears on the side of her head. Disgusting! She could make some grand plan up, something that Valc had been planning to use to destroy Vivae-

"Stop walking so fast! You're making me dizzy." Talyn's voice interrupted her thoughts.

She realized that her legs had quickened the more anxious she got. That's it! She whipped around to face Talyn, eyes sparkling with excitement. "I am fast!" She exclaimed.

Talyn smirked. "Really? And how is that supposed to solve our situation? I'm sure that any Ink is fast, especially ones relating to cheetah's, or horses-"

"No, you don't understand. I am the fastest in my tribe." She smiled.

"So what?"

"I can help you." She started to pace again. "Tell your mother that I came to you. I crossed over into Vivae borders and asked for Talyn's audience. I have Vivae qualities, I hate the Inks, and my father doesn't know that I've allied with Vivae. I want to offer my speed and talents to your service. I want to be your servant, something like that." Autumn ran a hand through her long black hair. "It'll work."

Talyn's purple eyes seemed to brighten at the idea. "You came to me?"

"Yes."

"And why weren't you killed at the border, the way you should've been?"

Autumn thought about that hard. "I was screaming about having information for the 'Great Talyn, son of Queen Vivian'. They were surprised at my terms to my sworn enemy, and decided to humour themselves."

Talyn nodded, a smile tugging at his lips. "You're pretty deceiving for an Ink." He smirked at her bright smile, and then frowned. "But why would I grant you an audience? And where are these Vivae that led you to me? It is against all Vivae Law that border guards would allow Inks a live entrance."

Autumn had thought of that to. "I killed them. They were about to attack, when I overpowered them and threw them into the river. Because I am an Ink, I wouldn't need to know their names. I snuck into the camp and found you. You took me here, and I presented my case. I would work for you on the inside, with permission from Vivian, of course, and help make Vivae stronger. I am a valuable asset, you know, me being Valc's daughter."

He nearly laughed. "You, overpowering two of the Vivae Army? You are a half breed! Half as strong as a Shadow. Even if Vivian believed you, you would have to prove yourself worthy enough to keep, or she will kill you."

Autumn knew he was right, but a ray of hope shone through. She had been strong enough to overpower Xena, why wouldn't she be able to attack slow Vivae with wings? Surely their feathers just slowed them down, and they were already awfully slow with those talons of theirs. The idea wasn't entirely hopeless. She laughed back at him. "I am very quick, and you are quite slow. I'm sure that you're feathers would just get in the way. I could kill you easily."

Talyn growled and shook his head. "I doubt it. You have no combat training, whereas my father is General of Vivae's Army."

"Speed is more valuable than strength." Autumn shot back at him. She crouched down, preparing to show him. She took a step to the side, and instantly wished that she had claws, or at least anything else than her weak fingernails. Even a tail would be better. She stepped sideways a few steps, assessing her situation.

She closed her eyes, knowing that she saw best with her echolocation. She sent out a squeal of sound, and saw in her mind's eye that Talyn had crouched down as well, with a snarl still on his face, preparing to defend himself. She stepped to the right a few steps, sending sound at each step. The crystal-clear image in her head let her notice more than her Human-like eyes ever could.

Talyn had a partially healed cut on the inside of his left leg. His right wing was slightly smaller than his left wing. Despite his tall height, his legs were thin and gangly, less muscled than his arms or torso. The tie on his tunic was only knotted once, and could be used to her advantage as a weapon. She herself only wore a half tunic- a strap of weaved leaves hanging around her waist that was longer in the front and the back and a simple neclacia over her chest- and was much more flowing and easy to fight in than his tight tunic. She remembered her mother's training, and focused on using his weakness to her advantage.

Without warning, she opened her eyes and charged for Talyn. He barely had time to react before she dove for his legs, hitting them at full speed. Her hand clawed at his wound on his left leg, and Talyn flinched and kicked his legs, trying to shake her off. She hugged his left leg and pounded on his right leg's knee. As he bent down to grab her, she reached up and pulled the string off his tunic.

Talyn snapped upright, and held his tunic closed. Autumn was behind him now, and she quickly jumped back as he flapped his wings, trying to hit her. She saw that his wings hardly reached to his shoulders, and jumped onto his right side. With the string, she doubled it over, and held it tight up against his throat. He stopped flapping.

"Still think I couldn't have overpowered the guards?" Autumn hissed, her blood racing.

"No… I believe that you could've quite easily." His voice seemed sarcastic, and was quiet because of her pressure on his neck. His accent made his voice sound funny, almost as though he was under water.

She chuckled and let go of the rope, letting it fall to his feet in front of him. She was about to slide to the ground, when she felt his hands grab her shoulders and swing her over, off his back. She was suspended through air, and her heart flew to her throat. Autumn hit the ground hard, and felt the wind fly from her throat. She gasped for breath and felt his knee hit her stomach. He put his forearm up to her wind pipe and pressed hard. She looked up, and saw that his tunic was partially open, hanging because of the missing rope, and took a sharp breath. His muscled chest was overwhelming, it was so perfect. She reached her hand up, attempting to push his weight off her. His skin was cold.

"Nice try," He murmured, staring into her jade eyes. "But you might want to kill your victim before letting go."

She felt fear take her. He looked dangerous, and wondered why she should trust him. He had every right to kill her now. She attacked him, and this could be self-defence. She was an Ink, they were sworn enemies. He grinned, his smile slow and easy.

"But I think that your quick wit has saved your life. I've decided to let you live." He announced, though his arm stayed heavy on her neck. She breathed a sigh of relief, and her hand went down to his, trying to free herself. "On one condition." His tone was humoured. She wrinkled her nose and sighed.

"What condition?" His eyes sparkled, and he lifted his arm from her neck.

"Let me do the talking." His knee came off her stomach and she allowed herself to breathe, deep and slow, as he lent her a hand and she stood up. Brushing off herself, she watched as Talyn tied the rope back onto his tunic, covering his stunningly gorgeous torso. He caught her staring, and quirked a brow. "Whatever are you staring at?"

The words were out before she could stop herself. "You are beautiful." She blushed and looked down.

She felt a hand under her chin, and as Talyn lifted her face, she stared up into his light purple eyes. "As are you, my servant." He winked at her, and let go of her chin.

Autumn felt flustered, and looked away. "Now then," Talyn's voice brought her eyes up to his. "I will need to make myself presentable for Vivian, and you'll need to look like a servant. I need to request an audience with Mother…"

Autumn looked down at her clothes in amazement. Rather than the leafy half-tunics and neclacia's that usually covered her thin frame, she was wearing a long, brown dress of weaved feathers. It reached down to her ankles and was extremely soft. The sleeves came down to her wrists, and all but her face was covered. Talyn said that it was a 'show of submission and respect to the Queen' and was standard uniform for Vivae servants and prisoners.

Talyn strode strong in front of her, faster than a usual walk, but Autumn kept up with him fine. He wore a darker tunic than before, strung with bright colors with decorative figures embroidered onto the cloth. A crown of sorts rested on his brow, shouting his royalty. The dark reds of his tunic made his purple eyes jump out, and all the more enhanced his beauty.

They walked along a path along a stream, aiming for the Tree at the center of the island. It was the home for all Vivae, including the oceanic Shadows. According to Talyn, there was a salt-water pool beneath the trunk that allowed all Vivae to gather together. The Tree itself was huge, wide enough for a small river to pass through its middle and for all Vivae to house in the trunks and branches.

Autumn quickened her pace slightly until she was just behind Talyn. He glanced back and winked. "Keep your head down," he murmured. "Don't make eye contact with the people and try not to draw attention to yourself."

Autumn quickly ducked her head. She closed her eyes momentarily and reviewed the plan. Talyn had changed her idea slightly. Instead of claiming that she killed the guards, he had decided that she had merely snuck in. Scarlet Falls, a huge symphony of crashing water that flowed in four main river sections and exploded together over an overhanging of rock, was rarely patrolled, he'd explained. Nothing would ever try to cross the border at Scarlet Falls, so it was only viewed every few hours. Also, in order to get the closest you could get to guard the falls, you would still have a plethora of blind spots, and so it was dubbed impossible.

Except for Autumn. According to Talyn, she had found a route up the side of Scarlet Falls that buried into the side of the rock, making it sheltered from the fall's spray and dry enough to climb. The route led her all the way up the cliff, and into Vivae territory. She was home free from then on. That way, he had said, no one would be blamed except his father, for lack of security.

Talyn slowed to a stop at a pine tree ahead of her. She stopped beside him. Looking up, she realized how close they were to the Tree. Its huge branches stretched out against the sky, blocking the sun. Vivae circled the trunk, occasionally landing or taking off. A river ran through its foundation, cutting through the base of the trunk. Autumn felt her eyes widen in amazement as she grabbed a breath.

"It's going to get busy really fast. I've requested an audience with Vivian, Quae and Jazry, so the Tree is going to be a buzz. By now, most people would have heard that 'Talyn is holding a meeting with his royal family about Ink business'. If they see too much of you, rumours will spread like wildfire." He looked down at her and took a breath. His purple eyes blazed. "I will fly up, and carry you. You have to bunch down and look like a package rather than an Ink."

Autumn nodded. It wouldn't be too hard, she decided. Talyn was much bigger than her, and she would look quite small compared to him if she was up against his chest. Even if someone did see her face, they would be flying too fast for them to think twice.

Talyn held out his arms to her, and she grabbed his left arm, and swung her legs up so her feet rested up on his right arm. She slipped down so her shoulders were in the crook of his elbow and pulled her knees up to her chin. He wrapped his arms around her tight, and Autumn hid her head down against his chest. She folded her arms around her knees and tried to compress her frame. "Am I small enough?" She whispered.

"Yes." His hands were on her shoulder and ankle, and he squeezed them now.

He flapped his wings and a buzz filled her ears. She felt him tense as he bent and jumped up. Talyn's wings caught, and they started to ascend. His heartbeat was strong on Autumn's cheek , and she was again reminded of her weakness. She wouldn't have been able to lift both of them and still hold a strong pace. She grabbed a breath and shut her eyes, hoping that their flight would end fast. Her stomach hurt suddenly, and she was glad for his strong arms. If he was any weaker, she might be swinging now with the beat of his wings, and she would get sick. Luckily, he held her close and stiffly so she hardly moved as they flew.

A male voice shouted out to Talyn. "Hey man! What's that in your arms?"

Autumn instinctively shrank closer to Talyn. Talyn didn't reply. He just flew faster, up into the air. Autumn assumed that they were closer to the Tree now, but she didn't dare look up. Suddenly, Talyn dodged to the left, then to the right. She heard a rustling, and realized they were in the branches, weaving through leaves. She breathed deep the smell of the leafy green environment, and noticed that Talyn's flapping had slowed some.

Talyn bent his neck down to her ear. "We are almost there. When we land, you'll need to make yourself even more invisible, head bent beside me. We will walk fast. Just follow my lead. And remember, I do the talking. Don't speak." His voice was for her ears alone.

Autumn nodded her head against his tunic. He straightened his head, and slowed his wings a bit more. She noticed that they weren't going anywhere, as if Talyn was trying to find the right branch to land on. They headed forward.

Without warning, Talyn's talons hit the ground and his wings stopped flapping. She opened her eyes as Talyn set her down gently. She smoothed her dress and bent her head, letting her arms rest at her side. They were in an opening in the trunk, an alcove dug into partial branch and wood. Talyn started off at a fast pace, heading into a throng of Vivae in the waiting hallways, and Autumn quickly followed. She ran a hand through her long black hair, and tried not to stare as they passed people.

Everyone they passed nodded their heads respectively at Talyn as they passed. They eyed Autumn in disgust and curiosity. She tried to keep her head safe from their prying glances. They all had wings and were much taller than any Ink she had seen. One man had a beak rather than a mouth and nose, and a woman had a long tail of coloured feathers. She sent subtle glances their way, awe filling her at such wondrous creatures.

They wound their way through a hallway and turned left into a smaller hall. Less people loitered here, and they moved fast. Autumn saw that up ahead was a spiralling staircase that rose up in stunning fashion. It was hewn into steps with a railing on the inside. This, Autumn assumed, was the main trunk. It seemed that the Vivae had dug out the entire trunk in order to sustain the tribe. _Amazing, _Autumn glanced up momentarily at the rough walls and chiselled roof. _To think that they made this, they dug it out and now live in a tree. _

They ascended the staircase. The steps were worn from the millions of steps taken, scratched from talons and quite wide and long. Talyn was slower on the steps, and Autumn had to constantly remind herself to slow down. She needed to appear submissive, needed to stay behind him. They rose past several floors, past countless Vivae and piercing gazes. When they appeared on the stairs, the voices hushed, and it made Autumn feel incredibly vulnerable and exposed, despite her thick dress. She wished they would arrive quickly.

After about twelve floors, Talyn stepped off the stairs and headed east, towards a hallway that seemed softer and larger than the rest. The floors were smooth, as though they were cleaned regularly. He stopped at an arched opening in the side of the hall. Around the frame, elaborate designs were carved and coloured brightly. A curtain of feathers hung in the doorway, preventing passerby to see inside. Talyn straightened his shoulders, took a breath, and grabbed Autumn's wrist.

"Follow my lead," He whispered. "Remember, you just climbed Scarlet Falls and snuck through Vivae trees to find me. Act defiant." He knocked on the side of the archway.

There was a flutter of feathers and a cough. The curtain swept aside to reveal Vivian. Autumn tried to swallow her gasp. Vivian was beautiful, dressed in a dark purple gown with a bright crown resting on her brow, similar to Talyn. Her white hair cascaded down her body, resting in a bouncy wave at her hip.

Vivian's eyes narrowed cruelly as she eyed Autumn. Her yellow eyes seemed to bite into her. Autumn bent her head. "Talyn." Vivian's voice rang out mockingly in the silent hallway. "When you mentioned Ink business, I didn't realize that you actually intended to bring me one."

"I thought I'd surprise you." Talyn's voice was dry. Vivian raised her brows, causing her crown to lift, and stepped aside to let Talyn and Autumn pass. Autumn looked up and she stepped through. Talyn pulled roughly on her wrist, and she grimaced. She followed him to sit on a bench hewn from red wood. The room was large and airy. There was an opening not unlike the one they had arrived in to get into the Tree on the far wall and was guarded by two large Shadows. Next to Talyn was a large wooden tub that was the shape of a chair with a deep base. It was filled with water.

"Jazry hasn't arrived yet?"Talyn frowned disapprovingly at his parents. Vivian gracefully sat in a tall chair next to Quae. Autumn looked down at her hands folded into her lap, trying to make herself invisible. This was suddenly a horrible idea.

"She will be here any moment." Quae's voice was icy and stiff. Autumn could feel his black, piercing gaze driving into her forehead. She attempted a glance upward. His black eyes were staring at her, and the horns on his head twitched. She felt amazed to be a part of an audience with royalty, yet bewildered to be the subject at attention.

Vivian sniffed and turned her head away from them, appearing to be disgusted. Autumn felt Talyn stiffen at her side. She looked up at him, and followed his gaze towards the opening in the room and heard a distant flapping. She saw four Vivae flying towards them, carrying what appeared to be a giant fish. As they neared, Autumn could make out six long tentacles covering what looked to be a Shadow. Talyn whipped his head around to glare at his mother.

"Couldn't we have met in a lower sector? You know how Jazry hates to be carried by those filthy soldiers!"

Vivian narrowed her brow, making her eyes yellow slits. She leaned forward, and her brown wings flapped out on either side of her. They were huge, and feathered, and Autumn recognized them as eagle's wings. They were much bigger than Talyn's, and spread out nearly six feet on either side of her body. "If this Ink hadn't come, there wouldn't be a need for us to meet at all." She hissed. "Those soldiers are what have kept filthy Inks out. I hope you can explain yourself."

The four soldiers were nearing them now, and Autumn could make out Jazry's face. She remembered the tales of how one of the royalties was an ocean creature, a strange, awkward beauty with long tentacles and fiery red hair. They said that she could swim so fast that the trees on the coast would shake when she circled the island. Her eyes, they'd told, were huge, covering nearly all of her face, and her tentacles were ten feet long. She could live on land if she pleased, but much preferred the ocean for the fish that she feasted on.

Seeing Jazry now confused Autumn. Her tentacles weren't nearly ten feet long, maybe six at the most, and her eyes weren't as big as she'd imagined. Jazry had pale white skin and a large, pasty forehead. Her big, baby blue eyes were large, but not bigger than some Inks that resembled night creatures. Her tentacles twitched as they hung down from her midsection. She wore a green dress that appeared to be made from seaweed, or some oceanic plant.

There was a soldier on each of her arms, carrying her through the air, and another two that supported four of her tentacles. As they neared the open window in the room, the guards stepped aside to let them pass. The soldiers landed and their wings folded onto their backs. Walking quickly, they strode up to the water-filled chair and gently set Jazry into the liquid. She also wore a thin crown that rested on her brow. Her big eyes were wide in concern, and her mouth frowned as she looked upon Autumn.

"Jazry!" Quae exclaimed and stood up. The water splashed as her tentacles hit the liquid. Jazry sat cross-legged in the water, her hands in her lap and her tentacles floating up in the water around her. Her brilliant red hair stood up in a spiky, heart-shaped lump and made her blue eyes nearly jump from her face.

"Please father, save your stupidity until we really need it." Her voice held the same accent as Talyn and she didn't look at Quae as she spat out the words. Her eyes were busy drilling holes into Autumn's head.

Autumn didn't realize until too late that she was staring too long. Her eyes were busy gazing in wonder at Jazry's magnificent form. Her eyes met Jazry's, and she immediately looked down and blushed.

"Who are you and what do you want from us?" Jazry's tone made shivers roll down Autumn's spine. She hadn't known how harsh someone's voice could be until she stepped into that room. Autumn opened her voice to speak, but Talyn cut her off.

"You should speak a little kinder to someone who just climbed Scarlet Falls." _Don't talk, _Autumn reminded herself. She straightened her shoulders and remembered her role. She stared back into Jazry's large irises. They flickered in disbelief.

"Impossible." Vivian nearly shouted. She realized that the Shadows who had carried Jazry were still in the room. She twisted around to shoo the guards away. "Leave us." She turned to glare at Talyn.

The soldiers walked to the large window and with a flap, flew off. The guards regained their position at the entrance to the sky, backs turned to the fighting family.

"How dare you even suggest that this weakling could climb the Scarlet Falls." Vivian scrunched her nose in analysis of Autumn. She ran her eyes up and down Autumn's body. "She looks almost human. Inks are weaklings, dust of the ground. They do not belong here."

Autumn stared back at Vivian and didn't bat an eye. She decided that she had spent too long being shoved under the water without a word. It was time to speak. "I am not weak." Her voice was strong as she lifted her chin. Talyn glared at her from the side. Jazry's eyes widened even bigger, and her tentacles twitched in the water, causing them to splash.

Autumn continued to stare Vivian down. She narrowed her eyes and straightened her back. "I climbed Scarlet Falls in order to find your son." She pointed to Talyn. "I snuck through Vivae boundaries without a second glance or a curious look. When I did find him, what did I get? He nearly killed me!" She shook her head and looked at Quae. His face was emotionless. "I have something that you want. I can give you leverage with the Inks that you wouldn't have without me."

"You?" Vivian laughed, and Autumn looked back at her. Her face was mocking. "What can a mere Ink possibly offer Vivae?" She stood up and leaned over Autumn imposingly. Her large wings flapped and she snarled. "We have wings and talons. We are taller, stronger and can fly!" She laughed again, though it was lacking humour. "Inks? You have tails and pointy ears! You're tiny and weak. You are useless to me."

"She is royalty." Jazry spoke suddenly, cutting into Vivian's rant. All heads turned toward Jazry, sitting in her water throne. "Autumn Jade is daughter of Valc."

At the name of her enemy, Vivian snarled and turned quickly to Autumn. Her hand flashed out, but Autumn was quicker. She jumped out sideways and ducked at Vivian's outstretched hand, just barely saving her neck. Vivian was slow with her talons, and by the time she took a step, Autumn was half-way across the room. _How does she know my name?_ Autumn wondered. The guards turned, and put their hands on their sheaths. Talyn stood up and put a hand on his mothers shoulder.

"She has Vivae talents," he murmured gently, trying to soothe her anger.

"What?" Vivian turned to her son, and shook off his hand. "Why is she here? Is she a spy, trying to befriend us only to tell all our secrets to Valc?"

"I am not Valc's blood daughter. He adopted me after he killed my mother." Autumn spoke from across the room. Jazry's eyes narrowed.

"You are lying. Everyone knows that you were named after Jade, Valc's wife." Vivian stepped towards Autumn. Quae stood up behind her.

"Jade may have been Valc's wife, but he was not the father of her child."

"Surely she wouldn't mate with another Shadow! She was killed in an accident, a mere freak of nature." Vivian turned to nod at her family, getting support. "Everyone knows that!"

"My father killed her when he discovered that I was not his child. He stabbed her through the chest and ripped out her heart. In front of the entire tribe, including me." Autumn's voice was emotionless, but tiny needles pricked at the back of her eyes. She resisted the urge to cry. _Stay strong._

"As tragic as your tale sounds, we did not gather here to converse in sad fairytales." Jazry spoke again. Her face appeared bored. "Mother, Father, sit down. Autumn come back here. I have a few questions for you." Her parents did as they were told, though snarls painted their faces.

Autumn cautiously walked back to the circle of chairs and sat next to Talyn. His face seemed furious. "How do you know my name?"

"I have seen you before. I've heard stories." Jazry shrugged. "You have Vivae talents?"

"The Spirit has graced me with echolocation." Autumn nodded.

Quae seemed to be bursting to say something, but Jazry beat him to it. "Why don't you have wings or fins then? Echolocation belongs to bats and whales." She asked, her eyes flashing. Her voice was accusing and held anger.

Autumn swallowed. "We do not know the Spirits intentions or reasons. We only accept them and use them to honour Her." She quoted her mother's words.

"A wise but empty statement." Vivian cut into the conversation.

"Why have you come here?" Quae spoke, his face mocking.

Talyn spoke suddenly, cutting into Autumn's open mouth. "She wishes to work on the inside of the Inks as a spy for Vivae. She will be under my control as my slave, and will help Vivae grow stronger."

"Impossible!" Vivian stood up again and pointed at Autumn. "She does not belong here, no matter how she arrived. She will not be privy to our deep secrets as a 'spy' for Valc! That bastard probably sent her here, anticipating her success and using her." Her eyes grew cold. "I should have her exiled into the highest mounts."

Autumn stared back into Vivian's yellow eyes and growled. She bared her fangs, grateful that they were canines rather than any human teeth. Her eyes narrowed. "I hate my father. I would never work for him. Every day he threatens to exile me. He has deprived me of any royal treatment and killed my mother." Autumn could see Jazry lean forward in her chair in her peripherals as her voice lowered to a growl. "How dare you accuse me of trickery?"

"How dare I?" Vivian's voice boiled with anger. "How dare you speak to me that way? I am royalty, the sworn enemy of your father. Show respect, earthling!"

Jazry stood up in her chair, her tentacles swinging and twirling in the water below. "Autumn is a Shadow, as are we all. If she is looking, we will show her sanctuary. She has offered us a window into the Inks crown, and we would be wise to accept it."

Quae growled in a screech. "No."

"Yes." Jazry turned her blue irises onto him and narrowed them. "She deserves it. If she disobeys us, we will kill her. It was your idea to keep Raspek. He is an Ink by body, but Vivae by heart. Autumn is Vivae in body, and wishing to be free of her Ink heart. We will accept her offer."

"We put Raspek in the ground where he deserves. Inks are earthlings who don't deserve to live in our Tree. They belong in the Cave where they were birthed." Vivian cut in, causing Jazry's head to swing around and glare at her mother.

"Then she will live in the tunnels. She will only enter the Tree when reporting to you." Talyn said. His purple eyes blazed, and Autumn couldn't help but stare. All eyes were on him. "I will take care of her; make sure that she does what she is commanded."

Vivian shut her mouth and pondered his request. She grabbed Quae's arm and pulled him over to a corner of the room. They murmured softly for a short while. Jazry turned to Talyn while they were busy.

"I want in on this too." She looked at Autumn. "I see potential in her."

Before Talyn could speak, Vivian and Quae walked back to the circle of chairs and sat down. Vivian looked sour, but calmer. She folded her hands in her lap, and Talyn and Jazry sat back down.

"She will never enter the Tree again after today. If she stays out of our business, and only addresses or sees you, then she may stay. We had nothing to do with this, she is yours Talyn." Vivian seemed reluctant to utter the words, but sincere enough for Autumn to breathe a sigh of relief.

"Jazry wants her as well." Talyn looked at his sister, who nodded in return.

"Fine." Vivian looked at each one of her children. "The Ink is yours."

"Thank you Mother." Talyn stood up, and pulled Autumn up with him. He nodded at his father, and turned to walk out the door, all the while gripping Autumn's forearm tightly.

"Talyn. When I said that she wasn't allowed in the Tree, I meant now as well." Vivian's voice made them turn. At Talyn's confused face, she gestured at the window. "You will fly her out."

Talyn sighed, and walked around the circle of chairs to the opening in the wall, pulling Autumn with him. Autumn looked down and felt her heart jump to her throat. They were thousands of feet in the air, somewhere in the trunk. Talyn turned to her and let go of her arm. Just as he was about to grab Autumn, Jazry spoke.

"I need to talk to you. Meet me in my room. Bring Autumn." They turned their heads to look at her. She nodded at them and smiled.

"Talyn." Vivian added. "Remember, if I ever see her in the Tree, or without you, I will kill her."

Autumn shivered. Talyn frowned, and nodded at Jazry. He grabbed Autumn's waist and pulled her close. She could smell his sweet, salty scent and feel the strength of his chest under her fingers. Her stomach fluttered. He leaned his head down to her ear. His breath was hot on her cheek.

"I'm going to try something new. Put your legs on my hips and your arms on my neck." He whispered.

She nodded against his tunic and he lifted his head. He held her waist strong and stiff as he lifted her so she could wrap her legs around his waist. She put her arms up around his neck and put her head on the top, front part of his chest. She shut her eyes, trepidation filling her core. She didn't want to fly.

He moved his hands up to support her back and bent his knees. He jumped up and flapped his wings, catching air. They were flying. She felt them descend, and opened her eyes to peer out behind them. She saw them falling, fast. His wings barely flapped as they fell through the air. Earth was approaching fast. Autumn yelped and shut her eyes. Her heart beat out of control, and she was sure that he could hear it, if not feel it. His heartbeat felt calm and strong, and she tried to use that knowledge to steady her dizzy head.

She felt his wings start to flap and dared a peek. They were slowing down as they neared the earth, and the canopy of the forest was nearly below them. He stopped descending and flew east, towards the large salt-water lake that surrounded the island. She could see behind them a large blob flying in the same direction as them, following them to the lake, and assumed that it was Jazry being carried to her home. The group behind them suddenly switched direction and flew out south, to the river that ran through the center of camp.

"Why is Jazry going to the river?" She whispered into Talyn's shoulder.

"She hates being carried and can move much faster in the river. It feeds into the ocean. She'll arrive before we do." His voice seemed amused; he spoke with a chuckle.

Autumn could feel the excess wind from Talyn's flapping blowing onto her feet and her long dress billowed up in the wind. She was sure that her hands were strangling the back of his neck, but his head didn't bend with her weight. She was glad of her lithe frame, and gratefulness filled her as his hands twitched on her back, changing position. At least she was tiny and thin.

They were nearing the lake, and a blast of salt hit her as the breeze sauntered over the canopy of trees. She heard the loud waves crashing onto the beach, and smiled into the sun. Talyn abruptly turned to the left and let them fall a few feet as the tree canopy shortened.

She shut her eyes as a wave of queasiness hit her. Her smile dispersed quickly. She groaned softly and shrugged her shoulders, trying to make the pain go away. Her insides felt as though they were rolling around, and she could feel her stomach gurgling and gushing. Nausea crawled up her throat and she clenched her stomach and ground her teeth, trying to make it stop.

"Are you okay?" Talyn sounded concerned. She realized that he must've felt her stomach rolling as well, and heard the gurgling and her groan. She shook her head against his shoulder as another wave hit. Her whole body clenched, and she resisted the urge to throw up. _Be strong! _Her head shouted at her.

Her eyes were closed, and she tried to focus on something else. The crashing waves grew louder, and the sensation of falling intensified. The crashing waves were hypnotic, and she felt lulled by its steady beat. She focused on that, until the nausea grew. She grabbed a breath and forced it out her nostrils, trying to control her thrashing stomach.

Suddenly, the falling feeling stopped, and her eyes flew open. Talyn's wings had shot out, steadying them only inches from the ground. Autumn's lungs heaved in relief as she exhaled. He dropped to the ground, and let go of her back. She fell from his chest, landing nimbly on her feet, and felt her stomach jump up. She turned and bent over as her stomach contents came flying from her throat onto the ground in front of her.

She heaved for a few minutes, Talyn standing nearby. He stepped closer as she coughed, but stepped back again. He seemed unsure what to do as she threw up. Autumn's mouth tasted horrid, and her stomach was weak. She pressed her hands into her thighs as another wave hit. She coughed up a thick, syrupy liquid that flew from her mouth. Hand reaching up to pull her hair behind her ears, she closed her eyes and felt her eyes water. She coughed a few more times before straightening and wiping her mouth. She walked over to the edge of the water and rinsed out her mouth. The salt stung her tongue, and seemed to make the burning in her throat worsen.

Autumn turned and looked at Talyn. He gave her a weak smile.

"I hate flying." Autumn said as she strode past him along the shoreline.

"Sorry," He sounded hurried, as he tried to catch up with her quick stride. She slowed some. "But I've never gotten sick from flying. I didn't realize the damage I caused. Please slow down." His accent softened her sick mood.

Autumn shook her head, but slowed a small bit. She felt a hand on her shoulder, and turned to Talyn's smile. "You're going the wrong way."

"Oh." Autumn blushed, but merely set stride in the opposite direction. She passed the pile of her stomach, and had to look away to prevent hurling away. She saw a large rock face up ahead. "Where is Jazry's home?"

"In the rock. It's an underwater cave of sorts." He walked beside her, his wings folded onto his back. The waves splashed to their right, a rhythmic beat harmonizing with the soft wind. Autumn took a deep pull of salty air, and let it filter through her system before exhaling. "Are you okay?" He sent her a nervous look.

"Yes." Her stomach didn't feel as weak, and the light-headedness was receding. They were nearing the large rock face, and she could see scars on its side. She looked up at Talyn. "I would think that the ocean would make a rock smoother, not scarred."

Talyn blinked and looked down into her eyes. "Apprentices train here sometimes. I guess they scratch the wall." He looked at the rock, puzzled. "I can hardly see anything. I don't really know what you're talking about."

Autumn blinked and gazed at the wall. The thin scratches and jagged edges were crystal clear in her head. "I can see them perfectly." She shrugged, but was slightly amazed. She had thought that birds would need great eyes to see long distances. Maybe they were far-sighted, or less sensitive to detail. She stole a look at his eyes. They were quite smaller than hers.

Talyn walked along the shore, and as they neared the rock he started veering into the water line. Autumn followed, lifting her feet quickly at the cold water. He led her around the first lip of the wall and onto an edge inside. On her left was a towering wall, on her right was the water. She noticed that the water was moving faster, as if it was being pulled. A thundering pound echoed through the cave. They started walking on a rampart of sorts on the inside of the rock, beside the river. She glanced up. Large stalactites reached down from the ceiling of the cave, teeth in the mouth of the beast.

The rampart was nearly three feet wide, but even so Talyn walked in front of her, leading her deeper into the chasm. The pounding grew louder, and she suddenly realized what it was. A waterfall. The river ran quickly beside them, bouncing over rocks and frothing slightly. It seemed eager to dive over the falls. It lapped at the edge of their pathway, trying to grab some unsuspecting soul.

The roof was so tall; Autumn could only guess its height. She gazed up and nearly tripped on her own feet. It was all she could do to keep walking; all she wanted to do was sit down and just stare at the wonders of it. She wanted to stare at the colourful reflections that danced on the walls of the cave, wanted to laugh and trace them, try to catch them with her long fingers. She wanted to touch the cool water and marvel at the way it spilled over her hands, and she wanted to stare at the large, random over hangings of rock that jutted out from above. She saw a few slits of yellow eyes hiding in the shadows and rocks above and below and felt like sending out a wave of sound and seeing what came back into her face, into her mind.

But she had to keep walking.

She could see where the water ended and the falls fell. The river jumped up over the edge of a slab of rock. She took a few more steps, then stopped abruptly and gasped. Talyn turned and grabbed her hand, pulling her forward. Autumn couldn't breathe as she stared at the sight before her. _How is this possible? _

Before her lay an enormous lake being fed by the falling river. It lay nearly thirty feet below where they were walking now, and they were heading towards a staircase that encircled the outer edge of the cave and led to a stone sculpture fixed into the wall of the cave. The sculpture was at least ten feet tall and was adorned with multiple faces and bodies jumping out at the empty air around. Yellow eyes stared out from the dark shadowed corners of the statue.

They began descending the stairs, and Autumn tried to swallow her amazement. This large chasm was somehow beneath that small rock that she had seen above ground. She feasted her eyes in bewilderment at everything. There were candles lit up along a shelf around the edge of the cave, and multiple Vivae flew above them and were seated below, guarding the entrances. Many of them were black or brown with long, sinewy wings, yellow beaded eyes and gnarled talons. Autumn averted her gaze and shivered.

They were now facing the sculpture and she realized that it was also a throne. It had arm rests with fish heads carved into the ends, appearing to look like gargoyles with open mouths and goggling eyes. The seat of the throne was like a deep basin filled with water. Autumn almost tripped on the stairs.

Talyn glanced back at her. His talons made a harsh scratching noise that echoed roughly in the cavernous room. Autumn descended the stairs, and couldn't help but feel trepidation crawl up her throat. She swallowed.

The lake's water lapped at the edge of cold, black rocks piled high. The pathway that they were walking on lay atop the rocks, its top being smoothed and flattened to allow safe passage. Head on to the throne, Autumn looked around, searching for Jazry. Her dress felt heavy and hot and she longed for her light half-tunic. Gazing up at the wondrous sculpture, she realized that it was not alone. On either side of the stone throne were smaller thrones fixed into the wall. Two of them were wood, while a third seemed to be weaved from thin branches and leaves and was stretched across a stone backing.

They stopped next to one of the chairs, and Talyn looked around, his eyes narrowing.

"I thought you said she would be here." Autumn took a step closer to Talyn as a shiver originated down her spine. The cave was scaring her.

"Oh she's here." Stephen murmured and sank down into a wooden chair that was turned to face the stone throne. "She's always watching."

8


End file.
